INTERACTION MODELS FOR MIXTURES WITH APPLICATION TO PHASE-TRANSITIONS

Continuum mixture theory formulates balances of mass, momentum and ene rgy for a mixture body and non-material singular surfaces. An importan t component of these balances are the transfers that take place betwee n constituents. These are described by volume interactions within a mi xture body and surface interactions at a singular surface. The interac tions sum to zero over all the. constituents in order that there is no net production of mass, momentum or energy. The principle of Euclidea n frame indifference is used to formulate the functional forms of thes e interactions. A simple set of volume and surface interaction functio ns are then postulated which satisfy the summation and frame indiffere nce requirements. These partition the mass, momentum and energy transf ers into a sum of the interactions between pairs of constituents. Illu strations are presented for a classical phase change front, a phase ch ange front in a binary mixture and two examples of phase change in a t ertiary mixture which demonstrate complex reabsorption processes. Copy right (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.